Integration of social workers in public health

The goal of this study was to explore and describe how social workers’ roles are perceived in public health within Gauteng health facilities. A qualitative approach was used in this study to explore the in-depth knowledge of the perceived roles of social workers. To gain an understanding of those perceptions, the researcher employed one-on-one semi-structured interviews where five social workers at primary and secondary public health facilities were interviewed. A focus group was conducted with four multidisciplinary members at a secondary health facility. Collective case study was applied to draw knowledge of the case being studied and non-purposive sampling was used to select participants based on the inclusion criteria.

Ethical approval has been obtained from Tshwane Health District to conduct this study within the health facilities within the district.